Cal Poly SLO inked nine in the early signing period and of those nine, seven are from the high school ranks.
"We will need a number of these players to give us an immediate impact with our program due to graduation and professional signings in 2010,” said coach Larry Lee in a release. "We made an effort to bring in as many quality arms on the mound as possible. We will take a big hit in the draft next spring and need to shore up that area."
Here are the high school players who signed:
Jimmy Allen, Infielder/Outfielder (R/R), Vista, CA (Rancho Buena Vista High School) David Armendariz, Right-Handed Pitcher, Granada Hills, CA (Notre Dame High School Jordan Brower, First Base (L/R), Newbury Park, CA (Newbury Park High School) Taylor Chris, Left-Handed Pitcher, Gilroy, CA (Gilroy High School) Chris Hoo, Catcher (R/R), Cupertino, CA (St. Francis High School) Chase Johnson, Right-Handed Pitcher, Fallbrook, CA (Fallbrook High School) Tim Wise, Outfielder (R/R), Camarillo, CA (Westlake High School)
"This is an outstanding group of players, probably the best pre-signing deadline that I've been apart of,” stated Rich Hill in a released statement. "Our assistant coaches, and Jay Johnson in particular have done an unbelievable job. This is a phenomenal group in terms of ability, character, academics, and commitment to spending their first 36 months in college developing.
Signing to play are:
Kris Bryant (Las Vegas, Nev./Bonanza HS) Dylan Covey (Pasadena, Calif./Maranatha HS) Danny Hawksley (Rancho San Diego, Calif./Valhalla HS) Marcus Littlewood (St. George, Utah/ Pineview HS) Max MacNabb (Carlsbad, Calif./La Costa Canyon HS) Griffin Murphy (Highland, Calif./Redlands East Valley HS) Paul Paez (Baldwin Park, Calif./ Bishop Amat HS) Kellen Sweeney (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Jefferson HS) Michael Wagner (Las Vegas, Nev./Centennial HS) Tony Wolters (Vista, Calif./Rancho Buena Vista HS).
UCLA inked eight players, seven from California and one from Nevada, as part of their 2010 recruiting class. Barring the MLB Draft, these players will be on the Westwood campus next fall. UCLA signed three right handed pitchers and five position players.
"Our coaching staff has done a terrific job with this recruiting class,” Bruins' heac coach John Savage said in a released statement. "Coach Vanderhook and Coach Pearse have worked hard to recruit these players, and we are excited that they have chosen to become Bruins. Between the three incoming pitchers and five position players, we are confident that this class will make significant contributions down the road.”
Brenton Allen OF Cerritos, Calif. (Gahr) Patrick Gallagher INF Reno, Nev. (Reno) Adam Plutko RHP Upland, Calif. (Glendora) Jacob Shirley INF Covina, Calif. (South Hills) Patrick Valaika INF Valencia, Calif. (Hart) Nick Vander Tuig RHP Oakdale, Calif. (Oakdale) Zachary Weiss RHP Irvine, Calif. (Northwood) Kevin Williams INF/OF Van Nuys, Calif. (Crespi)
Angelo Gumbs is a 6-0, 190 pound INF/OF out of Torrance (Calif.) High School. Last year, the Tartars made it to the CIFSS Div. IV Championship Game at Angel Stadium. The Tartars made their first appearance in the game and fell to San Dimas 4-2. Gumbs is one of the top players in the state and looks to make noise in the 2010 season.
Last night, C.C. Sabathia took to the mound and inched the New York Yankees one game closer to the American League Pennant and a trip to the World Series. He was brilliant last night when he went eight innings and shut down the Angels' offense.
Sabathia is out of Vallejo (Calif.) High School and after the completion of his senior season, Cal-Hi Sports (now CalHiSports.com).
As an Apache, Sabathia played three sports, football, basketball and baseball.
On the gridiron he caught 27 passes, as he was a tight end on the Apache football team. Five of those passes went for touchdowns. He also played on defense and lined up as a defensive end, where he recorded 14 sacks.
When it came to baseball, Sabathia was nothing less than dominant. He posted a 9-1 record to go along with a 0.49 ERA. He also could hit, as he blasted seven homers and had an average of .563. His only loss came in his final start in the Sac-Joaquin Section Final.
Being the state athlete of the year, Sabathia was not named state player of the year. That honor went to Sean Burroughs of Wilson (Long Beach, Calif.) High School. Burroughs hit .520 with seven homers and 50 hits.
Sabathia was drafted out of high school in the first round by the Cleveland Indians.
The Geren brothers (Bobby and Brett) played for the Oakland Athletics at the 2009 Area Code Baseball Games. Their father, Bob Geren, is the manager for the Oakland A's, so what an experience playing for the same team in August.
Aaron Hicks was selected as the No. 1 prospect in the Midwest League by Baseball America today. Hicks went to school at Long Beach Wilson, in Southern California, where he helped guide the Bruins to a second place finish in the CIFSS Div. 1 playoffs. In 2008, his Long Beach Wilson team finished No. 6 in the CalHiSports.com Final State Baseball Rankings.
In June of 2008, Hicks went No. 14 overall to the Minnesota Twins. He was the third high school player from the Golden State to be drafted. Kyle Skipworth (Patriot of Riverside) went No. 6 to the Marlins and Jason Castro (Castro Valley) went No. 10 to Houston.
He was selected to the First Team All State by CalHiSports.com as a two way player. Other big name California players on that team were: Kyle Skipworth, Gerrit Cole, Anthony Gose and Matt Hobgood. He reportedly hit .473 with four homers and 23 RBIs. In 2008 he also posted 13 multi-hit games and got three hits in five times.
ESPNRISE.com caught up with Kerry Kelley at the MLB Youth Academy in Compton, Calif. We sat down with the Palmdale High School athlete to talk about the MLB Youth Academy, recruiting and the opportunity to play a team from Japan.
According to SMMirror.com Tyler Skaggs out of Santa Monica (Calif.) High School was drafted No. 40 overall by the Angels. Skaggs did not sign right away, he waited late in the process to do so, and got to Tempe. Once in Tempe he excelled and the Angels moved him up to Orem, Utah.
Skaggs was named to the CalHiSports.com First Team All State, in 2009. Other arms to make that team were Tyler Matzek (Capistrano Valley [Mission Viejo, Calif.] High School), who is up at the University of Oregon, and Norco's Matt Hobgood, who signed with the Orioles.
While at Santa Monica, Skaggs, only won two games in his senior year. That is because the Vikings were not as strong offensively in 2009. Skaggs numbers were though. He threw 48 innings and struck out 76 batters. A more impressive number was he only gave up 11 walks.
According to CalHiSports.com, Skaggs struck out 12 batters in a game three times. If Skaggs missed the signing deadline, he would have made the trip down the freeway, from Santa Monica, to Cal-State Fullerton.
For the second straight day and the second straight game the Blue Team tops the Red Team at the USA Baseball Trials, in Cary, N.C. The score was 8-6 in favor of the Blue, who with the win move to 2-0.
Bryce Harper (Las Vegas, NV) was quiet in the firs game going 1-for-5 with four strikeouts. In the second game he went 2-for-5 with four RBIs. Teammate and AFLAC MVP Tony Wolters was 1-for-3 for the game and scored three times.
Robbie Ray had the longest outing of any pitcher on the evening going 4.2 innings. He surrendered two runs and had five of the Blue Team's seven collective strikeouts.
The Red and the Blue face each other until September 17. When the team is announced the squad will face Pitt CC and Louisburg College in four exhibition games before traveling to Venezuela to play in the 2009 COPABE Pan Am "AAA" (18U) Championships.
Tyler Urps is out of Pleasant Grove (Oak Grove, Calif.) High School is a 2010 shortstop. He took some time to answer some questions for ESPNRISE.com Baseball.
ESPNRISE.com: If you could pick another sport to play, which would it be and why?
Tyler Urps: Football, because it is a very competitive team sport.
ESPNRISE.com: What do your pre-game rituals consist of?
Tyler Urps: A good stretch, play catch, and mentally get ready for the game.
ESPNRISE.com: If you could face one hitter/pitcher of any era, who would it be and why?
Tyler Urps: Nolan Ryan, He is a great competitor & challenge
ESPNRISE.com: Why do you play the game of baseball?
Tyler Urps: Baseball is what I love!
ESPNRISE.com: Who are the key influences to your success in the game of baseball?
Tyler Urps: My parents, my coaches & myself.
ESPNRISE.com: Where do you see yourself in baseball in the future and what are you doing NOW to get there?
Tyler Urps: I can only hope I find a great team in the MLB to call my family. I train each and every day to continue to improve my knowledge of this great game we call Baseball.
ESPNRISE.com: If you could hang out with one person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
Tyler Urps: Derek Jeter, He is my biggest mentor.
ESPNRISE.com: What do you do when you are not playing baseball?
Tyler Urps: Training on a daily basis and sometimes let loose on the wakeboard.
ESPNRISE.com: Who is your favorite music artist?
Tyler Urps: Nelly, I love the versatility of his music.
ESPNRISE.com: If you had a free round trip ticket to anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
Tyler Urps: Hawaii, it is one of my favorite places to visit.
ESPNRISE.com: Write something interesting about yourself that most people don't know.
Tyler Urps: I am a very hard working individual. I want to be perfect, so I try to reach a new goal everyday. I am a quiet person, however when I step in the chalk lines, I step up and like to take charge. I am a competitor. I want to win. I do not ever want to give up or let me team down. I have big dreams to play in the MLB someday and I will not stop until I achieve my goals no matter how hard it might be. I love this game and can't imagine my life without it.
Ryon Healy and Josh Mason played together for one of the best teams in California last year. In 2009 the Crespi (Encino, Calif.) Celts started unranked by CalHiSports.com. When the season ended, the Celts finished with a 21-11 record, a No. 19 final state ranking and the CIFSS Div. II champions. They topped Huntington Beach 8-1 at Angel Stadium. Healy had a heck of a game in the finals against the Oilers, as he homered and went the distance on the mound. Here is a conversation at the 2009 Area Code Games with Ryon Healy and his teammate, Josh Mason.
Starting on Saturday, September 12, the Team USA 18U Trials are set to begin. There are a total of 44 players who will be in the Cary/Raleigh, N.C. part of the state trying to secure a roster spot for when Team USA travels to Barquisimeto, Venezuela, to play in the 2009 COPABE Pan Am "AAA" (18U) Championships. That tournament gets underway later this month, September 24.
Last year, Team USA took home the Silver Medal in the International Baseball Federation's XXIII AAA World Junior Championships, which was held in Canada. The 2009 team looks to better last year's international competition's results in a couple of weeks.
Looking at the roster there are some names that stand out.
The catcher out of Las Vegas has been everywhere it seems. Bryce Harper has tremendous power at the plate and has a strong arm in the field. Harper is no stranger to international competition. Back in 2008 Harper played on 16U Team USA, in the COPABE "AA" Youth Pan American Championships. In that tournament, Harper hit .571 with four homers and 16 RBIs. Team USA captured the Gold Medal in that tournament.
Other 16U players trying out for the 18U team:
Matt Lipka: Out of McKinney (Texas) High School, Lipka played in the 2009 Area Code Baseball Games as a shortstop for the Texas Rangers. In 2008, while playing in the COPABE "AA" Youth Pan American Championships, he hit .467.
Marcus Littlewood: Out of Pine View (St. George, Utah) High School, Littlewood is an alternate at this year's tryout. Back in 2008 Littlewood hit .375 with 12 RBIs. He was named to the COPABE "AA" Youth Pan American Championships All Tournament Team, along with Bryce Harper.
Christian Lopes: The infielder out of Valencia (Calif.) High School is another player on the roster for the trials. Lopes is a smooth fielding shortstop, who played in the 2008 and 2009 Area Code Baseball Games. In 2009, for Valencia, Lopes hit .453 with 15 homers. He was named to the First Team All State by CalHiSports.com, as a sophomore. There were only three underclassman on that team. He was also named State Freshman of the Year by CalHiSports.com and threw his first two years in high school has hit 25 homers.
Anthony Wolters: The infielder from Rancho Buena Vista (Vista, Calif.) High School had a solid summer, to say the least. He was named the 2009 AFLAC All-American Game MVP, has he came up with a big hit to send the AFLAC All-American Game into extra innings. He was named to the Second Team All-State by CalHiSports.com.
There are a total of 16 players from California, by far the most from any state, in North Carolina this week. Florida came in second with five players.
Players from the 2009 Area Code Baseball Games
Jesse Biddle | LHP | Germantown Friends | Philadelphia, Pa Cody Buckel | RHP | Royal | Simi Valley, Calif. Sean Coyle | INF | Germantown Academy | Chalfont, Pa. Gabriel Encinas | RHP | St. Paul | Whittier, Calif. Kevin Gausman | RHP | Grandview Aurora | Centennial, Colo. Cory Hahn | OF | Mater Dei | Corona, Calif. Travis Harrison | OF | Tustin | Aliso Viejo, Calif. Keenan Kish | RHP | Germantown Academy | Worcester, Pa. Matthew Lipka | RHP | McKinney | Frisco, Texas Christian Lopes | IF | Valencia | Canyon Country, Calif. Justin O'Conner | IF | Cowan | Muncie, Ind. Brian Ragira | OF | Martin | Arlington, Texas Jake Rodriguez | IF | Elk Grove | Elk Grove, Calif. Stefan Sabol | C | Aliso Niguel | Aliso Viejo, Calif. AJ Vanegas | RHP | Redwood Christian | Alameda, Calif. Tony Wolters | IF | Rancho Buena Vista | Vista, Calif. Marcus Littlewood | IF |Pineview | Saint George, Utah Griffin Murphy | LHP | Redlands East Valley |San Bernadino, Calif.
Players from the 2009 AFLAC All-America Game
Justin O'Conner | IF | Cowan | Muncie, Ind. Karsten Whitson | RHP | Chipley | Bartow, Fla. Kevin Gausman | RHP | Grandview Aurora | Centennial, Colo Bryce Harper | C | Las Vegas | Las Vegas, Nev. Matthew Lipka | RHP | McKinney | Frisco, Texas Tony Wolters | IF | Rancho Buena Vista | Vista, Calif. Marcus Littlewood | IF |Pineview | Saint George, Utah Brian Ragira | OF | Martin | Arlington, Texas Stefan Sabol | C | Aliso Niguel | Aliso Viejo, Calif. AJ Vanegas | RHP | Redwood Christian | Alameda, Calif. Jameson Taillon | RHP | The Woodlands | The Woodlands, Texas.
Players from the 2009 Under Armour All American Game
Nick Castellanos | IF | Archbishop McCarthy | Davie, Fla. Drew Cisco | RHP | Wando | Mt. Pleasant, S.C. Karsten Whitson | RHP | Chipley | Bartow, Fla. Daniel Child | RHP | Jesuit | Carmichael, Calif. Garin Cecchini | IF | Barbe | Lake Charles, La. Brian Ragira | OF | Martin | Arlington, Texas Jameson Taillon | RHP | The Woodlands | The Woodlands, Texas.
We caught up with Geoff Broussard at the Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy in Compton, Calif. At the time, an all-star team from the academy, squared off against a high school all-star team from Japan. Broussard just finished his freshman year at Cal Poly Pomona and prior to joining the Broncos he played his high school baseball at Alta Loma (Calif.) High School. The righty took some time to talk about his experince playing college baseball and the recruiting process.
Just as Austin Wilson committed to Stanford, so did Bubank (Calif.) High School's Lonnie Kauppila. The infielder, transferred to Burbank from Crescenta Valley (La Crescenta, Calif.) High School after in the second semester of his junior year.
Scott Kurtz/ESPN RISE
Kauppila said yes to Stanford.
"While I was at Crescenta Valley the first semester of my junior year, I knew all along I would be transferring to Burbank,” he said. "Keeping it a secret was the hardest and as second semester approached, I got more and more anxious.
Eventually, people found out and Kauppila said that is when it [transferring] hit him. In his first season at Burbank he reportedly hit .508, with 25 RBIs and 12 homers. After his 2009 season he was named to the All-State Baseball Second Team Underclass by CalHiSports.com.
Changing schools is tough on anyone, and even more so when a student transfers mid-year. It is hard enough to make new friends starting at the beginning of the year, let a long mid-year.
"It wasn't until baseball practice that I made most of my friends and from that point on it was the best time for me.”
This past August, he gave a verbal to Stanford.
"There aren't really many colleges that a kid can go to that offer one the of the best educations, the opportunity to play in the prestigious Pac-10, and have a coaching staff like Stanford does,” he said.
After taking everything into account he knew that Palo Alto was the right choice.
The recruiting process can be daunting at times for athletes and combine that with a new school, it would not be a surprise of he felt over whelmed. It wasn't though for Kauppila. "The recruiting process was a blast for me.”
When you think of about it, it should be a fun time for players. Having colleges make their best pitch to get you into their school and their program. Around the first of July, reality started to sink in and the decision about his future got more serious.
"From there, it was all a matter of doing my own research and seeing where the best option would be, ranging from academics, facilities, reputation, and other infielders in the program.”
He would of course take a trip up North to visit with Coach Marquess and visit the campus. "Coach Marquess took my family and me around the school for almost two hours.”
And after that tour, he knew Stanford would be his choice.
"Going around the campus and visiting almost each aspect of the campus was amazing to me, it didn't really compare at all to the other schools I had previously been around. In the end, the baseball diamond and whole environment of the school made my jaw drop. It was really an unforgettable trip.”
Now, that the choice has been made, Kauppila said he will be more relaxed. He does not have to worry about making his choice or worry if he is going to play at the next level. He has a place to play and that feeling would sooth any athlete.
"The only thing I have to worry about is doing well in my classes,” he remarked. And there will be a change in the classes he will take in his senior year. All this to help prepare him for the challenging academic climate at Stanford.
"The work I have to put in to school is more demanding but then again, it is a lot better than having to apply to schools and go through the process that 99% of other people have to go through.”
This decision was the culmination of hard work, which there is still going to be plenty of, and a busy summer. A trend that is common, especially during the summer of a junior year. It seemed that he was playing in some sort of game or event every weekend.
"I had a Perfect Game showcase in San Diego the first weekend of summer, then went to Minnesota and played at the national showcase at the Metrodome a couple weeks later,” he said of his summer schedule.
"The Stanford camp and Area Codes were the other two main events I went to so it was pretty packed. Also, since my brother was home for the summer, everyday we were doing something baseball related to try and get better.”
Lonnie's older brother Kris just completed his freshman year at the University of Portland.
"This fall, I think I'll be playing occasionally but I'm not going to overdue it. Our school has a fall league (VIBL) and I believe I'll be playing with the Brewers Elite team for scout ball.” Kauppila's fall schedule will be just as busy, if not more so when you take into account school.
"I pretty much have my hands full but I'm going to try and take it easy for the most part.”
According to a report on sbsun.com, Redlands East Valley (Redlands, Calif.) Tyler Shreve only has one offer to play football, and that is to Colorado State. You see, Shreve is not only a quarterback, but is a pitcher on the REV baseball team.
On the diamond he is a physically dominating player at the high school level, with a 90mph fastball. Oddly enough, he is somewhat under the radar on a national scale, primarily because of his football talents. With that said, he participated in the two biggest amateur events in the country, the Area Code Baseball Games and the AFLAC All American Game.
Both of these events are prestigious and unique of their kind and are by invitation only.
It is anticipated that many, if not all, of the Major League teams are planning to see Shreve pitch this spring.
On the gridiron Shreve had a great sophomore year. Threw for a reported 1,299 and 20 TDs and was named 2007 Press-Enterprise 2nd Team All-San Bernardino. In his junior year he had an injured ankle and shoulder and his passing yardage improved to 1,502, but he only threw for 12 TDs.
It will be interesting to see where he ends up and in which sport. To read more about Shreve click here.
Alex Balog played on the Milwaukee Brewers Gray team at the 2009 Area Code Baseball Games this past August. Balog is out of Northern California's Archbishop Mitty in San Jose. Balog is a dual sport athlete and it may be a surprise that his second sport is water polo. He is a big kid, standing in at 6-foot-5, 210 pounds. He is physical and has some power in his swing. He is also good around the bag, at first base.
According to the Los Angeles Times website, Harvard-Westlake ball player, Austin Wilson, is headed off to Stanford. Wilson played in the Area Code Baseball Games (Milwaukee Brewers Blue), the AFLAC All American Game and the Under Armour All American Game this psat August.
Wilson hit .526 with six home runs, 27 runs scored and 27 RBIs. His exploits on the baseball field earned him CalHiSports.com Second Team All State. He was one of three juniors to earn the honor. He was also named to the CalHiSports.com First Team All-State Underclass.
Looking back on the 2009 Area Code Baseball Games one interesting outcome actually came at the beginning of the week when the first three games all ended in ties. Call it timely hitting, faulty pitching or both, there were three ties. The second game on August 5, 2009 was one to remember. Two of the Chicago White Sox pitchers were dominant. Both Dylan Bundy and Archie Bradley were lights out in that first game, and Bradley, a member of the 2011 class, looks to be one of the best arms in the nation.
The Cincinnati Reds Area Code Team turned in the best record of the week and for the second straight year it came down to the final day in determining the best team of the week. The Reds had a solid team this year and it may have been one of their best teams they have brought from the Four Corners. In an event such as Area Code, when there are no practices and such, it is hard for a group of players spread across a region to show up and play together. That is what the Reds did and they looked like a group of players that had been out there together before.
A couple more names that standout on the 2009 All Area Code Team are Josh Sale and Tony Wolters.
Sale is a two-time member of the Washington Nationals Area Code Team and he is a two time member of the All Area Code Team. Sale, hit two homers this year at Blair, which is no easy feat. It just sounded different when he hit the ball, in comparison to others there.
Tony Wolters was one of the best infielders at the Area Code Games. He got hit in the head early in the week, but still came back and finished the week strong. A couple of days later Wolters traveled down to Petco Park and played in the AFLAC All American Game.
SAN DIEGO-Generally speaking, when the lone local player in a national all-star is selected as the MVP, there are cries of partiality.
But when Tony Wolters of Rancho Buena Vista High (Vista) earned the Jackie Robinson Award at the seventh annual Aflac All-American High School Baseball game Sunday night at Petco Park, few could argue.
Wolters' two-out game-tying triple in the bottom of the ninth inning led to the series' first-ever tie, 4-4, after each team scored a single run in a 10th inning tie-breaker that left the remainder of a record crowd of 8,027 uncertain how to react.
But the players thought it was an appropriate ending after battling for more than 3 1/2 hours to a standstill.
"You had the best players the nation, so a tie was OK,” said Wolters who played shortstop and second base, collecting two of his teams five hits. Additionally, he thwarted a first-inning rally with the game's top defensive play by flagging down a pickoff throw headed for center field and tagging out the East runner at second in one sweeping motion.
But it didn't look like Wolters would even get to the plate in the ninth inning after Yordy Cabrera (Lakeland, Fla.) easily got the first two outs of the inning. When Matt Lipka (Frisco, Tex.) coaxed a walk out of the 6-foot-4 right-handed Cabrera, Wolters had his chance.
"I just went up there looking to get a hit. When I saw the right-fielder playing in close, I wanted to hit it over his head.”
Wolters drilled a fastball into right field and although the ball did not go over the right-fielder's head, it had enough to score Lipka even though the Texan fell down after rounding second.
Cabrera got a strikeout to end the inning and an unusual tie-breaker was employed where each team started the inning with the bases loaded. One out was also put on the board.
Tyler Austin (Conyers, Ga.) walked on a 3-2 count to give the East a 4-3 lead but Las Vegas' Bryce Harper, the junior-to-be Sports Illustrated cover-boy, who will enter community college in the fall in hopes of being drafted next spring, drove in Lipka with the tying run and when the East escaped further damage, the game was over.
It looked for while like the West's two-run first inning would hold up until Jacoby Jones (Richton, Miss.) singled across the go-ahead run for the East in a two-run eighth.
"I'd been watching and he (West pitcher Peter Tago) always followed a fastball with a curveball,” said Jones, who also said he liked a tie. "After he threw me a fastball, I was anticipating the curve and he threw it.
"It was a great week and the trip to Rady Children's Hospital put everything in perspective. The game was fun, but that's what it's all about.”
Proceeds from the game go to the hospital.
The crowd of 8,027 easily surpassed the record 5,622 last year at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles and kept the series tied at 3-3-1.
Contributing: Hilary May, Grant Bomann, Andrew Drennen
Long Beach, Calif. -- For a high school baseball game played in central Florida, the scene was electric; with an unprecedented throng of reporters and national media on hand.
Patrick Schuster, a crafty left-hander out of Mitchell High School in New Port Richey, Florida, had set a Florida state record by tossing four consecutive no-hitters. But in this particular game and the quest for no-no No. 5, Schuster was facing a tough playoff game against a familiar foe with a good hitter that had previous success against the no-hit maestro.
The foe on this late April day in a District 6A-7 Semifinal showdown was Gaither High out of Tampa. The Cowboys' contact hitter with the cool demeanor was one Drew Doty, a 5-foot-11, 170-pound centerfielder who is competing at the 2009 Area Code Games for the Oakland Athletics' sponsored team.
In a previous meeting against Mitchell earlier in the 2009 season, Doty recalled hitting a double and striking out against Schuster. Before a standing room only crowd, the soft-spoken Doty felt the electric atmosphere of the event but treated it as any other game when it was time to play.(Read full post)
It was the second of two tryouts in Southern California for the Milwaukee Brewers. Like the tryout yesterday, it seems that the arms were all standout.
Out of Barstow High School, pitcher Aaron Sanchez led off the simulated game on the mound. The righty was up to 93 on the gun and overpowered batters he faced. He has a good body, standing in at 6-foot-3, 175 pounds and he should get stronger. His delivery was clean and had a good arm.
Out of the 2012 class is Rio Ruiz, a 6-foot-1, 180 pound infielder out of Bishop Amat (La Puente, Calif.) High School. In 2009 he reportedly hit .358 and scored 31 times. He showed a good steady glove during the infield evaluations and at the plate he showed a good approach. Ruiz is one to watch in the 2012 class.
Chris Wilson, out of St. Paul High School, was another player to watch at the tryout on Wednesday. In 2009 he reportedly had an ERA of 2.96 in 52 innings pitched. Opponents only hit .194 off him last season. On the mound, on Wednesday, he sat 90-92.
Coming off of Capistrano Valley's CIFSS Div. I title, Brandon Brennan showed that the Cougars have a good young arm ready to go for next year. On the gun he was 91-92. He threw strikes and worked quickly in the simulated game.
Another young player to watch is yet another pitcher. This one out of the 2011 class and that is Henry Owens out of Edison High School in Huntington Beach, Calif. Like Brennan, who got to watch Tyler Matzek pitch, Owens got to watch Kurt Heyer pitch. The same Kurt Heyer, who lost to Matzek in the CIFSS Div. I title game, 1-0.
Owens was 87-88 on the gun. The 6-foot-3, 165 pound southpaw has a bright future. He threw strikes and kept the hitters off balance.
The Milwaukee Brewers Area Code rosters will be announced on AreaCodeBaseball.com within in the next couple of days.
It was the second of three tryouts for the Milwaukee Brewers Area Code Baseball Team, with the final workout coming on Wednesday. With over 70 players in attendenc, up for grabs was a shot at a spot on one of two Brewers Area Code Rosters.
Interestingly, there was not much speed at the tryout, when the players ran the 60-yard. There were only three times that cracked sub-seven and the fastest time was by Desmond Henry, a 5-foot-11, 167 pound OF/SS from Los Angeles Centennial High School. He was one of the fortuante players to make the cut to the afternoon session, which was the simualted game. He had one of the better arms of the players at the workout.
Royal (Simi Valley, Calif.) High School was where Bryan Berglund attended. He played in the 2009 Area Code Games last year and was drafted in the second round by the Florida Marlins. This year another pitcher from Royal, Cody Buckel (P/SS). He was 89-91 on the mound and he was invited after attending the Area Code Baseball Instructional Camp, last December at Santa Barbara City College.
Shortstop Philip Evans had a good day at the tryout. He is out of La Costa Canyon and is a member of the 2011 class. He had a good approach at the plate and was balanced. He was able to hit the fastball and the breaking ball in the game.
A couple of pitchers from Crespi (Encino, Calif.) High School lit up the gun during the game in the afternoon. The first was Ryon Healy (6-foot-4, 200 pound junior), a right handed pitcher, who led the Celts to the CIFSS Div. II finals against Huntington Beach High School. In that game the righty went the distance in the 8-1 win. He went 11-0, in 2009, with an ERA of 1.81. In the game he was 87-88 with good command and he worked fast.
His Crespi teammate Josh Mason, a 6-foot-3 180 pound P/OF had a good showing on the mound. He was 88-91 on the gun with a good breaking ball. He pitched well and was able to keep the hitters off balanced.
One other pitcher who did well was Jesus Valdez out of Hueneme (Oxnard, Calif.) High School. Eric Sondheimer, of the Los Angeles Times, said that Valdez was one to watch this summer. He did not dissapoint. Warming up, Valdez was 88-89 on the gun and then it was batter up he turned it on. He overpowered batters with his fastball the got up to 93. He had a solid breaking ball that had some bite in it.
The second tryout for the Southern California players will take place on Wednesday.
It was the second Area Code Baseball Camp of the summer and it took place at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, Calif. Over sixty players were in attendance in an effort to hone their baseball skills and look to improve for summer ball, fall ball and their season in 2010.
Players started off running the 60-yard and here are the top times from the camp:
Jacob Anderson | Chino | 2011 | 1B | 6.90 Kenneth Peoples | Westchester | 2011 | SS | 6.97 Nigel Nootbaar | El Segundo | 2011 | P | 7.00 Jesus Mesa | Tustin | 2011 | SS | 7.08 Ryan Forkel | Orange Lutheran | 2010 | OF | 7.13 Steven Fisher | San Marcos | 2011 | P/SS | 7.16
After that the players went into defensive work, where the players broke up into specific positions. After that they got a brief taste on what what goes on at an Area Code Baseball Tryout. Outifleders threw to thrid base and the plate, infielders threw from the deep hole and catchers were timed from glove to glove.
Top Pop Times:
Matt Bailliet | Mission Viejo | 2010 | 1.98/2.05 Boyd Bell | Granada Hills | 2010 | 1.90/2.00 Justin McCullough | El Segundo | 2010 | 2.00/2.05 Danny Hayes | Loyola | 2010 | 2.05
After the defensive work the players went into the simulated game. Here are the top velocities from the afternoon session.
Ryan Albert | Newport | 2010 | FB: 84-87 CB: 72-75 Chris Hubocan | Mission Viejo | 2010 | FB: 84 CB: 68-71 Nigel Nootbaar | El Segundo | 2011 | FB: 83 CB: 69-71 Reed Reilly | JSerra | 2010 | FB: 83-85 CB: 68
The first of the two Southern California Area Code Baseball Tryouts start on Tuesday at Orange Coast College.
The 2009 Area Code Tryouts for the Milwaukee Brewers kicked off on Wednesday, July 1 at Delta Community College in Stockton, California. In attendance were 120 of the best prep players in the Northern part of the state, above the borderline of Fresno. The tryout lasted a grueling ten hours under one hundred degree temperatures, but in the end, the Brewers were able to gather some insight who may find themselves on the Brewers Gray roster for the 2009 Area Code Games in Long Beach this summer.
The first eye opening moment of the tryout was when P/1B Eric Jaffe stood in for his batting practice and launched several bombs to all sides of the field. Jaffe, standing in at a solid 6-foot-3 220 pounds, out of Bishop O'Dowd High in Oakland made a statement with his raw power that had scouts talking about him the rest of the day.
Also showing good bats in the batting practice session was Alex Balog from Archbishop Mitty, Jake Rodriguez from Elk Grove, Tyler Kuresa from Oakmont High and Caleb Natov from hailing from the home of C.C. Sabathia, Vallejo High.
In the infield drills, displaying good actions and strong arms were Joe Mello, James Roberts and Cody Zimmerman. Mello had the smoothest actions of the threesome with Roberts having the best arm and Zimmerman having the strong bat.
A player out of the Area Code Baseball Camp the day before, Javier Carrillo Jr. also displayed a great knack for fielding making some dazzling plays throughout the day.
The twenty-five outfielders that were in attendance had the best battle to make the midday cut due to their numbers and Joc Pederson out of Palo Alto displayed the right tools with great speed, a 6.7 60-Yard dash, an outstanding infield arm and a good gap power bat. Also making the midday cut were DonAndre Clark, Scott Jarvis and OF/C Blake Grant-Parks.
Parks not only threw from the outfield, he also caught the entire day and had impressive pop times of 1.97, 2.00, and 2.06. During the simulated game, Parks threw out one runner that had a good 2 strides left to reach the bag at second base. This "wowed” all in attendance and to make things better for Parks, he is only a sophomore graduating in the year of 2011.
Moving onto the pitchers, nobody topped the well-known AJ Vanegas, who came out of the gate throwing 90-92 with a solid slider that hovered around 79-81. Other top velocities from the day included Braden Young (86-88) Cole Wells (88-89) Andrew Millner (88-89) Will Anderson (86-88) Robby Rowland (87-89) and Ben Griset (87-88)
The Milwaukee Brewers nest tryout will be held at Orange Coast College on July 7 and 8. They will be looking to fill in the remaining spots for the two Californian teams that they hold.
Today Area Code Baseball hosted a baseball clinic at Delta Community College in Stockton, California where the determination of sixty young aspiring athletes learned the true fundamentals of the game. The coaching staff of the 2009 Milwaukee Brewers Area Code team instructed the players for four hours under the triple digit heat until the camp broke into five groups and played a simulated game.
In the game, the best pitching repertoire came from Danny Hawes out of Simi Valley who averaged 84-86 on the gun with a 69 mph curve. The best bat came from Connor Buss out of Clovis West High in Fresno, Calif. He was the lone holder of the only in-game home run that hit the top of the fence in right center and jumped over to allow Buss to touch them all. Below are the top recording in the 60-Yard dash, catcher Pop-times and the top pitching velocities for the day.
Top 60 times:
7.12 - Andrew Beard – Del Campo High – 2010 – OF 7.13 - Mark Hurley – San Benito High – 2010 – OF 7.19 - Austin Cairns – Whitney High – 2010 – 2B/SS 7.21 - Matt Urakami – Branham High – 2011 – SS/2B 7.22 - Beau Hashim – Liberty High – 2011 – OF 7.22 - Jonathan Nutter – Woodcreek High – 2011 – C 7.28 - Hunter Jorgensen – Heritage High – 2010 – P/OF 7.28 - Daniel Robertson – Pleasant Grove High – 2010 – OF
Top Pop-Times:
1.98 - Jonathan Nutter – Woodcreek High – 2010 – C 2.05 - Ross Hough – Liberty High – 2011- C/SS 2.05 - John Koretoff – Clovis West High – 2011 - C/SS
Top Velocities:
86 - Danny Hawes – Simi Valley – 2010 – P/1B 85 - Hunter Greenwood – Franklin High – 2010 – P/OF 82 - Matthew Blesio –Nevada Union – 2010 – 2B 81 - Matt Narahara – Castro Valley High – 2011 – P/1B 80 - Justin Smith – Woodcreek High – 2010 - P 80 - Ryan Cordell – Valley Christian – 2010 – P/Utility 79 - Connor Torres – Beyer High – 2012 – SS/C/P 79 - Alan Katz – Aragon High – 2012 - P 78 - Sam Anderson – Woodcreek High – 2011 - P/1B 78 - Brent Barstow – Amador Valley – 2010 – P/OF
Danny Diekroger is going into his senior year at Menlo School, in California. The middle infielder is off the Milwaukee Brewers Area Code Team tryout in July. In 2009 he hit .400, with two homers and 33 RBI.
ESPNRISE.com: If you could pick another sport to play, which would it be and why?
Danny Diekroger: Well, I also play football at Menlo (quarterback) so I guess that counts. Football is great. There is something special about the team aspect that you can't get in other sports.
ESPNRISE.com: What do your pre-game rituals consist of?
Danny Diekroger: I don't really have any special pre-game rituals other than things that prepare me for the game. I guess one thing is that I'm always paranoid about is getting my swing ready. My biggest fear is going into a game without having hit pre-game, anything from whiffles to soft toss to pepper, anything to get my bat going.
ESPNRISE.com: If you could face one hitter/pitcher of any era, who would it be and why?
Danny Diekroger: Roger Clemens. I like facing fast pitching, and getting a hit off him would just be sweet.
ESPNRISE.com: Why do you play the game of baseball?
Danny Diekroger: I really started playing because, in a household of three boys, what else are we supposed to do in the backyard? All of my life I've played and I haven't really questioned why. It's just fun.
ESPNRISE.com: Who are the key influences to your success in the game of baseball?
Danny Diekroger: My older brother, Kenny, has been a huge influence on my baseball career. Since we're only a year apart, we've played together a ton, and he has always set high standards for me to follow. Though we've had our fair share of fights, I've always looked up to him. (He has a scholarship to go to Stanford, and just got drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the second round).
ESPNRISE.com: Where do you see yourself in baseball in the future and what are you doing now to get there?
Danny Diekroger: I want to play in the pros. I think there would be nothing better than doing something I love every day, and getting paid to do it. Right now I'm playing every day, working to get better in all aspects of my game.
ESPNRISE.com: What are your plans for the summer?
Danny Diekroger: On top of all the summer football practices, I am playing with a summer team and doing various camps and showcases.
ESPNRISE.com: If you could hang out with one person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
Danny Diekroger: If I could hang out with one person it would be Jesus. The dude can walk on water.
ESPNRISE.com: What do you do when you are not playing baseball?
Danny Diekroger: When I'm not playing baseball I'm playing football. Food, sleep, and hanging out with friends all fit in there somewhere.
ESPNRISE.com: Who is your favorite music artist?
Danny Diekroger: I can't say I have a favorite artist, because I like all kinds of music. Usually, during football season I get into more hip-hop type music, but when baseball comes around I'm all about classic rock.
ESPNRISE.com: If you had a free round trip ticket to anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
Danny Diekroger: I would go to the island in the TV show "Lost". That place is insane, and if you don't watch Lost, I suggest you start.
ESPNRISE.com: Write something interesting about yourself that most people don't know.
Danny Diekroger: I'm not going to lie, I'm a little bit of a closet nerd. I especially like math and science, and I'm not afraid to admit it.
CalHiSports.com named Serra of San Mateo's Pete Jensen as the California State Coach of the Year. His team won the CCS title in walk off fashion, and Jensen will step down this year. Jensen also ends his high school coaching career as one of the winningest coaches in Northern California history. For more on this click here.
In the 2009 Stephen Strasburg of San Diego State became the third No. 1 overall pick from San Diego in the last 10 years. The other two players were Matt Bush and Adrian Gonzalez. CalHiSports.com's Executive Editor, Mark Tennis, examines the first round of the draft as 12 California players were taken in the top 44 picks. For more click here.
Coming off their win at the Anderson Bats National Classic, Mater Dei moved up to the No. 1 spot in the CalHiSports.com state baseball rankings. It should surprise no one that this happened. They beat a very good El Toro (Lake Forest, Calif.) team in the championship game of the tournament. Even though El Toro lost, they moved up to No. 2. Right now both those teams are strong contenders to win CIFSS crowns. Unfortunately, we will not see a rematch in the playoff, as both teams are in different divisions.
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